The M23 armed group says it has agreed to withdraw from the eastern Congolese town of Uvira after a request from the United States, days after seizing the strategic location in South Kivu province near the border with Burundi. The announcement was made in a statement posted on X by Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo rebel coalition, which includes M23.
The coalition said previous withdrawals had been exploited by the Congolese army and its allies to retake territory and target civilians perceived to support the rebels.
The Rwanda backed group captured Uvira last week, threatening a US brokered peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda signed in Washington, as well as a separate framework deal agreed in Doha between the rebels and the Congolese government. The coalition described the planned withdrawal as a unilateral trust building measure and called for international oversight of demilitarisation and civilian protection.
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The United States has accused Rwanda of violating the Washington accords, an allegation Kigali denies. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was ready to take action to ensure commitments were honoured, as fighting in eastern Congo continues to raise fears of wider regional instability involving neighbouring Burundi.
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